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A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love with a human, in this original debut novel. R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn't enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead. Not just another zombie novel, this is funny, scary, and deeply moving.Tags
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Feed by Mira Grant
by HenriMoreaux
Member Reviews
Opening with the best kind of dry humor, this book instantly grabbed me and made want to read more. R is our zombie narrator, and we follow him as he explains what the world is now. Filled with shambling and lost zombies, R and his friends each have no memory of who they were or what really happened to them in the first place. All that has been lost in the recesses of their mind when they turned. Or has it?
We are introduced to R at the beginning, and he remains our zombie narrator the rest of the story. My favorite part about R was how different he was from the others, even in the very beginning. There was a overall humanity to him that was easy to relate to, and yes I really did find myself falling in love with a zombie. Rotting flesh show more and all. What Isaac Marion does is create this character that is such a part of us that, despite his undead state, you find things to relate to in him. R likes the simple joy of riding escalators, of listening to Frankie Blue Eyes, and even of just sitting in the sunshine. Even though he has no pulse, he is so endearing!
This book completely surprised me. Yes, it does contain all the typical zombie items. Eating of brains, shambling, and of course the occasional rotting flesh. However it so much more than that. At the heart of Warm Bodies is a love story of the most sincere kind. In fact I'd equate it to a bit of an old school fairy tale. It isn't always pretty, it isn't always happy, but in the end everything turns out the way it is meant to. Definitely unique, this book has successfully meshed the romance and zombie elements together in a perfect way! I cannot begin to explain how impressed I was.
Final verdict? I devoured this book with a fervor from beginning to end. A perfect mix of bittersweet romance and zombie lore, Warm Bodies is a book that is unlike any other I have ever read! R helps us to explore our own mortality and humanity, while leading us through one heck of a story line. Thank you Isaac Marion. I was able to see my beloved zombies in a whole new light and I couldn't ask for more! show less
We are introduced to R at the beginning, and he remains our zombie narrator the rest of the story. My favorite part about R was how different he was from the others, even in the very beginning. There was a overall humanity to him that was easy to relate to, and yes I really did find myself falling in love with a zombie. Rotting flesh show more and all. What Isaac Marion does is create this character that is such a part of us that, despite his undead state, you find things to relate to in him. R likes the simple joy of riding escalators, of listening to Frankie Blue Eyes, and even of just sitting in the sunshine. Even though he has no pulse, he is so endearing!
This book completely surprised me. Yes, it does contain all the typical zombie items. Eating of brains, shambling, and of course the occasional rotting flesh. However it so much more than that. At the heart of Warm Bodies is a love story of the most sincere kind. In fact I'd equate it to a bit of an old school fairy tale. It isn't always pretty, it isn't always happy, but in the end everything turns out the way it is meant to. Definitely unique, this book has successfully meshed the romance and zombie elements together in a perfect way! I cannot begin to explain how impressed I was.
Final verdict? I devoured this book with a fervor from beginning to end. A perfect mix of bittersweet romance and zombie lore, Warm Bodies is a book that is unlike any other I have ever read! R helps us to explore our own mortality and humanity, while leading us through one heck of a story line. Thank you Isaac Marion. I was able to see my beloved zombies in a whole new light and I couldn't ask for more! show less
First, I will say that I am a long time fan of traditional, Romero zombies. I love them as a metaphor for death, inescapable social change and the fear of the consequences of the cold war (aka radiation poisoning). What can I say, I’m a horror nerd.
After having said that, I have to warn away my fellow traditional zombie fans. This book is not meant for zombie fans. Even if it was written to be, it fails so utterly it disqualifies itself from the genre.
Warm Bodies is a romance, pure and simple. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with romance (I’m a fan of that genre too). After struggling to read through this book and ultimately failing. I realized that at your core you have to WANT the romance in this story than you want show more a zombie story or post-zombie apocalypse world that even remotely makes sense.
Special note: There’s been a lot of debate, especially on the part of the author, about categorizing this book as YA. I agree that at first glance this book with its poetic navel gazing, emo-tastic protagonist and heavy dependency on romantic cliches, would appear to be a typical YA novel. However, I would never in good conscience actually recommend this book to a teen reader. There are far better paranormal romances out there, ones that do not stereotype young female protagonists (aka make them look like shallow morons) and don’t have a deeply disturbing thread of self loathing.
At the end of the day, Warm Bodies is a poorly executed Romeo and Juliet fan fic, with a zombie twist. It does, in fact, use zombies as Twilight uses vampires. Taking away almost every essential aspect of the classic monster in order to make him more desirable and appealing as a romantic lead. Sadly, those sacrifices cut away all the relevance this book has in being in this zombie genre. In addition, like Twilight, Warm Bodies is a superficial, romanticized ideal of young love. Casting a rosy-lensed gaze upon two of the most shallow, selfish and unlikeable characters I have had the displeasure of reading about.
If you’re not a fan of zombies, but still want to read this book, don’t worry. R isn’t a real one. (Oh the irony of that statement. *sigh*) The style of the narrative glosses over or diminishes the horror of the concept and reduces most of the zombies to cartoonish, comic relief (which I hated, but most readers seemed to delight in). So, I think that if you’re a fan of fantasy romance, who’s not big on zombies, but loves a simple love story with a high concept this might just be the book for you.
I’ll go into the spoilery details about how deeply this book fails, in my opinion, below. Read at your own risk.
In an effort to minimize my time I have to spend on a book I hate, I’m going to address my general complaints. There are many flaws in this book, but I would be here for a week if I were to attempt to list and explain them all.
Talk About Unreliable (Narrator)
For the record, I would accept the style of R’s narrative a lot easier if it were NOT first person. I struggled with believing that a walking corpse has such a high level of complex thought. While it could be argued this was done purposefully to connect with the “redemption” ending. It so contradicts the fact presented to the reader at the start of the story it makes it hard to ever get to the pay off.
Honestly, a reader should have to fight to accept and understand the fiction world being presented to them. It’s the job of the author to do that heavy lifting in that regard, by making the laws and rules of the fictional world obvious and easy to believe. I mean we’re already accepting that the dead have walking around, don’t distract me with trying figure out how his brain functions or how he can’t talk in the first part of the book and is then able to form entire sentences later on.
While the writing style employed is impressive and interesting, it certailyn captivated many readers, to me it seemed so out of place that it felt needlessly self indulgent on the part of the author.
These are beautiful and complex metaphors who’s only conceivable purpose is to show how “dreamy and poetic” R is on the inside. /condescending tone intended.
Side note: At one point his internal thoughts are in latin. Yes, LATIN.
The Clumsy Construction of an Anti-hero
Much of the story, plot and even choices of the other characters all came off as confusing or even contradictory because they were so obviously bending to the purpose of making R look sympathetic, attractive and/or heroic. This often happened in situations where he was undoubtable the complete opposite of these noble traits.
A great example of this is the character assignation of Julie, who comes off as shallow and even moronic at times. From her cool and lightning quick acceptance of being kidnapped by a zombie who only hours earlier had been eating her friends to her cold hearted relief at learning of the death of her boyfriend.
This goes even further and Julie confides that Perry had cheated on her. Clearly, this is another calculated attempt devalue Perry’s death and lessen the guilt of R for murdering him. Which in-turns weakens the entire reason why R is supposedly in love with Julie, aka the loving memories of her that R gained by eating Perry’s brain.
Flawed Metaphors and Why Shakespeare Hates this Emo Shit
Before I even started the book I knew it was based on Romeo and Juliet. Though honestly the links to Shakespeare's classic play about young love gone tragically wrong are so obvious I don’t know how anyone could miss them. Julie is Juliet, R is Romeo. R’s best friend M is obviously Mercutio and even fair Roslyn puts in a cameo.
On the surface this derivative story holds up, but if you look down deep the metaphors become muddled and confusing. At the start of the story R isn’t the happy go lucky, love-stuck youth that is the classic Romeo who is transformed into a serious and thoughtful man by true love. Instead R is a sullen, resentful youngman zombie, who hates both what he is and his people...er fellow zombies. His general loathing and fetishistic fascination* with the world of the living deviates even further from the classic version of Romeo, who only sees his former life as violent and points once placed into contrast with the care free happiness he experiences with Juliet.
*R’s loathing of his fellow zombies and zombie culture (which is a thing complete with religion, functional families that include spouse and children, and even zombie training schools for said children) borders on cultural dysmorphia. Which invites some really disturbingly problematic themes, especially if a reader views R as “the other” or member non-mainstream culture. In other words, if R were black and Julie is white how does his constant mocking and outright hate of his own people and his own identity look? Fucked up, that’s how it looks. I’m not saying this was the intention of the author, but rather I’m demonstrating how drastically these metaphors were mismanaged in the story.
To further deepen the divide between this book and R&R, we have Julie who is hollow, cold and disconnected from her own kind, aka the living. Her fascination with R is passive and weak to the point that at times I doubted her sincerity. Conversely the classic Juliet is the very soul of a loving, considerate young lady. She is by all accounts the very picture of a perfect daughter, who falls deeply and irrevocably in love with the one boy who her father will never forgive her for loving. In fact, it’s her loyalty, love and deep connection of her family that is the main conflict in her part of the story.
As Romeo and Juliet is a story of how young, ideal love cannot survive in a poisonous environment of hate and intolerance. Warm Bodies by reversing the outcome (with a ridiculous twisting happy ending) for the two lovers it unintentionally rendered the meaning and impact of their worlds completely irrelevant. Giving a completely unearned happy ending to one of the most tragic love stories completely ruins the entire point of it’s very relevant social commentary.
None of the this even addresses the numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in the narrative when it comes to technology (Julie’s iPod), the existence of complicated prepare food (Phad Thai) and inexplicable presence of power in the airport that allows one lone freezer unit to still have unspoiled food. Other one star reviews list even more flaws in the narrative that should have been caught by a competent editor or proofreader. Not to mention the sloppy punctuation (holy ellipsis abuse, Batman) and countless grammar errors. The ebook copy I read had numerous typos, but I believe that were cause by the conversion process, or at least I hope they were.
In my opinion this book will only be entertaining to someone who has absolutely no investment or expectations of it being anything other than printed in English. show less
After having said that, I have to warn away my fellow traditional zombie fans. This book is not meant for zombie fans. Even if it was written to be, it fails so utterly it disqualifies itself from the genre.
Warm Bodies is a romance, pure and simple. Not that there is anything inherently wrong with romance (I’m a fan of that genre too). After struggling to read through this book and ultimately failing. I realized that at your core you have to WANT the romance in this story than you want show more a zombie story or post-zombie apocalypse world that even remotely makes sense.
Special note: There’s been a lot of debate, especially on the part of the author, about categorizing this book as YA. I agree that at first glance this book with its poetic navel gazing, emo-tastic protagonist and heavy dependency on romantic cliches, would appear to be a typical YA novel. However, I would never in good conscience actually recommend this book to a teen reader. There are far better paranormal romances out there, ones that do not stereotype young female protagonists (aka make them look like shallow morons) and don’t have a deeply disturbing thread of self loathing.
At the end of the day, Warm Bodies is a poorly executed Romeo and Juliet fan fic, with a zombie twist. It does, in fact, use zombies as Twilight uses vampires. Taking away almost every essential aspect of the classic monster in order to make him more desirable and appealing as a romantic lead. Sadly, those sacrifices cut away all the relevance this book has in being in this zombie genre. In addition, like Twilight, Warm Bodies is a superficial, romanticized ideal of young love. Casting a rosy-lensed gaze upon two of the most shallow, selfish and unlikeable characters I have had the displeasure of reading about.
If you’re not a fan of zombies, but still want to read this book, don’t worry. R isn’t a real one. (Oh the irony of that statement. *sigh*) The style of the narrative glosses over or diminishes the horror of the concept and reduces most of the zombies to cartoonish, comic relief (which I hated, but most readers seemed to delight in). So, I think that if you’re a fan of fantasy romance, who’s not big on zombies, but loves a simple love story with a high concept this might just be the book for you.
I’ll go into the spoilery details about how deeply this book fails, in my opinion, below. Read at your own risk.
Talk About Unreliable (Narrator)
For the record, I would accept the style of R’s narrative a lot easier if it were NOT first person. I struggled with believing that a walking corpse has such a high level of complex thought. While it could be argued this was done purposefully to connect with the “redemption” ending. It so contradicts the fact presented to the reader at the start of the story it makes it hard to ever get to the pay off.
Honestly, a reader should have to fight to accept and understand the fiction world being presented to them. It’s the job of the author to do that heavy lifting in that regard, by making the laws and rules of the fictional world obvious and easy to believe. I mean we’re already accepting that the dead have walking around, don’t distract me with trying figure out how his brain functions or how he can’t talk in the first part of the book and is then able to form entire sentences later on.
While the writing style employed is impressive and interesting, it certailyn captivated many readers, to me it seemed so out of place that it felt needlessly self indulgent on the part of the author.
"It's simple but senseless, arbitrary laws from some lunatic legislator in the sky."
"...the effervescence of life energy, like the ionized tang of lightning and lavender."
These are beautiful and complex metaphors who’s only conceivable purpose is to show how “dreamy and poetic” R is on the inside. /condescending tone intended.
Side note: At one point his internal thoughts are in latin. Yes, LATIN.
The Clumsy Construction of an Anti-hero
Much of the story, plot and even choices of the other characters all came off as confusing or even contradictory because they were so obviously bending to the purpose of making R look sympathetic, attractive and/or heroic. This often happened in situations where he was undoubtable the complete opposite of these noble traits.
A great example of this is the character assignation of Julie, who comes off as shallow and even moronic at times. From her cool and lightning quick acceptance of being kidnapped by a zombie who only hours earlier had been eating her friends to her cold hearted relief at learning of the death of her boyfriend.
”I mean, I think I get it. You don’t have a choice, right? And to be honest . . . I’d never say this to anyone, but . . .” She stirs her food. “It’s kind of a relief that it finally happened.”
I frown. “What?”
“To be able to finally stop dreading it.”
“Perry . . . dying?”
This goes even further and Julie confides that Perry had cheated on her. Clearly, this is another calculated attempt devalue Perry’s death and lessen the guilt of R for murdering him. Which in-turns weakens the entire reason why R is supposedly in love with Julie, aka the loving memories of her that R gained by eating Perry’s brain.
Flawed Metaphors and Why Shakespeare Hates this Emo Shit
Before I even started the book I knew it was based on Romeo and Juliet. Though honestly the links to Shakespeare's classic play about young love gone tragically wrong are so obvious I don’t know how anyone could miss them. Julie is Juliet, R is Romeo. R’s best friend M is obviously Mercutio and even fair Roslyn puts in a cameo.
On the surface this derivative story holds up, but if you look down deep the metaphors become muddled and confusing. At the start of the story R isn’t the happy go lucky, love-stuck youth that is the classic Romeo who is transformed into a serious and thoughtful man by true love. Instead R is a sullen, resentful young
*R’s loathing of his fellow zombies and zombie culture (which is a thing complete with religion, functional families that include spouse and children, and even zombie training schools for said children) borders on cultural dysmorphia. Which invites some really disturbingly problematic themes, especially if a reader views R as “the other” or member non-mainstream culture. In other words, if R were black and Julie is white how does his constant mocking and outright hate of his own people and his own identity look? Fucked up, that’s how it looks. I’m not saying this was the intention of the author, but rather I’m demonstrating how drastically these metaphors were mismanaged in the story.
To further deepen the divide between this book and R&R, we have Julie who is hollow, cold and disconnected from her own kind, aka the living. Her fascination with R is passive and weak to the point that at times I doubted her sincerity. Conversely the classic Juliet is the very soul of a loving, considerate young lady. She is by all accounts the very picture of a perfect daughter, who falls deeply and irrevocably in love with the one boy who her father will never forgive her for loving. In fact, it’s her loyalty, love and deep connection of her family that is the main conflict in her part of the story.
As Romeo and Juliet is a story of how young, ideal love cannot survive in a poisonous environment of hate and intolerance. Warm Bodies by reversing the outcome (with a ridiculous twisting happy ending) for the two lovers it unintentionally rendered the meaning and impact of their worlds completely irrelevant. Giving a completely unearned happy ending to one of the most tragic love stories completely ruins the entire point of it’s very relevant social commentary.
None of the this even addresses the numerous inconsistencies and contradictions in the narrative when it comes to technology (Julie’s iPod), the existence of complicated prepare food (Phad Thai) and inexplicable presence of power in the airport that allows one lone freezer unit to still have unspoiled food. Other one star reviews list even more flaws in the narrative that should have been caught by a competent editor or proofreader. Not to mention the sloppy punctuation (holy ellipsis abuse, Batman) and countless grammar errors. The ebook copy I read had numerous typos, but I believe that were cause by the conversion process, or at least I hope they were.
In my opinion this book will only be entertaining to someone who has absolutely no investment or expectations of it being anything other than printed in English.
It actually was tough going for me at first with this book because I was certain it was going to be a crummy romance novel.
While there is definitely a theme of love involved--it's what makes R trudge along--it's not what the book is all about. I was a fan of the action, definitely, especially with the Boneys. Loved the comedy--it kept me entranced on a hazy, wintry night. But most of all, I loved this idea of new beginnings.
R's voice is what struck me throughout. How it starts out and continues to evolve throughout the narrative as he begins to change. R is a character I rooted for whole-heartedly, and how could you not, considering he doesn't even have a heart? Give the poor guy a break!
All of the characters were interesting in show more their own way, and I would actually have liked to have gotten to know them better. I suppose R will though, if he and this new world he has created will continue to expand... show less
While there is definitely a theme of love involved--it's what makes R trudge along--it's not what the book is all about. I was a fan of the action, definitely, especially with the Boneys. Loved the comedy--it kept me entranced on a hazy, wintry night. But most of all, I loved this idea of new beginnings.
R's voice is what struck me throughout. How it starts out and continues to evolve throughout the narrative as he begins to change. R is a character I rooted for whole-heartedly, and how could you not, considering he doesn't even have a heart? Give the poor guy a break!
All of the characters were interesting in show more their own way, and I would actually have liked to have gotten to know them better. I suppose R will though, if he and this new world he has created will continue to expand... show less
I grabbed this for a lark and ended up really impressed. I wouldn’t have expected a zombie apocalypse novel to have so much introspection and emotion, and the writing was quite good. The audio version gave the narration a Dexter-like quality that I’m not sure would have been there otherwise, but it was a nice bonus.
I’m sure this isn’t the only book with a zombie narrator, but I thought it was creative, original, and incredibly charming.
I’m sure this isn’t the only book with a zombie narrator, but I thought it was creative, original, and incredibly charming.
Quick & Dirty: The charming characters and captivating storyline deliver a dramatic tale of survival. Warm Bodies is thought-provoking and highly original.
Opening Sentence: I am dead, but it's not so bad.
The Review:
R is a zombie. He's still struggling with his role as a zombie in a world where humanity borders on extinction. He doesn't know his name. He can't even remember what his human life was like or how long he's been a zombie. R assumes that he hasn't been a zombie for a long time because his flesh hasn't started to rot and he hasn't lost any body parts. R spends his time going through the motions of living, but feeling vast and absolute emptiness. Wandering aimlessly, grunting and moaning, shrugging and nodding, shuffling, and show more sometimes speaking a few words, the life of a zombie isn't all that exciting. He lives in an abandoned airport outside a large city with his fellow zombie brethren. Maybe out of habit or some distant memory, the zombies have created some social structure in their airport camp. The zombies have a creepy church, weird marriage ceremonies, adoption for parentless zombie children, and school to teach zombie children how to hunt and kill among other things -- useful skills for any self respecting zombie. One day, feeling empty and dead inside, and craving brains, R decides to form a hunting party. When R bites into the cerebrum of his latest victim, Perry, he is flooded and overwhelmed by Perry's memories. Driven by some uncontrollable need, R decides to save Julie, Perry's girlfriend. He takes her back to his zombie camp, and the beginnings of a friendship begin to form. R and Julie set out on a journey, forging an unbreakable bond. Will they find answers to the zombie plague? Can humanity be saved? Is the struggle to survive for the living and the dead worth it?
I'm pleased to say that Warm Bodies is an amazing story. Warm Bodies easily appeals to hardcore zombie fans as well as those who are skeptical of the genre. My approach to reading this story was quite simple - major suspension of disbelief. Turns out, I was wrong. I found myself believing the setup and quickly becoming invested in the story. The synopsis had me intrigued. Admittedly, I was skeptical myself when I read the press release included with the review request. Can a zombie really have a relationship with a human? How will they be able to communicate? What about -- dare I say it, SEX? Mr. Marion did an excellent job answering these questions. While all of my questions weren't answered, it was okay. It worked in the context of this compelling story told from the POV of a zombie. I was left with a profound feeling of sadness and joy as I read the final pages. Warm Bodies is a thought-provoking story that will challenge you to think outside the box.
For me, the story of survival was just a backdrop for the equally compelling storyline -- the relationship between R and Julie. It took some time for Julie to warm up to R and the idea that he really wanted to protect her, even if it meant getting himself killed again. This time his death would be more fatal. R and Julie have a beautiful and convincing relationship. Both characters are a combination of strength and vulnerability, and are easily likable despite some of their actions.
In all its unpleasantness, Warm Bodies manages to be more than a chronicle of fetid zombies shambling about, looking for the next kill. The concept of Warm Bodies is highly original and the opening chapters of the book are the most riveting that I've read in awhile. The writing is simply beautiful and sets the tone for the rest of the story. I'm very impressed with how this story is written. This is a testament to Mr. Marion's ability to make you care for R and his zombie crew. I found myself struggling with picking a winner and loser. You would think the easy choice would be to choose the living, but the dead simply can't be forgotten. R is a unique narrator and he was able to bring a humanizing element to the plight of the zombies.
Overall, Warm Bodies is an excellent entry into the zombie genre. This dystopian world is bleak, harsh and frightening. This story beautifully captures the struggles for identity, belonging and surviving for both the living and the dead. Warm Bodies will keep readers on the edge of their seats asking and answering difficult questions. Imaginative characters and quirky dialog make this a captivating read. Mr. Marion pens a fast-paced and well written novel that readers will devour.
Notable Scene:
As we approach their level of the building, some of us start groaning loudly, and the Living hear us. One of them shouts the alarm and I hear guns cocking, but we don't hesitate. We burst through a final door and rush them. M grunts when he sees how many there are, but he lunges with me at the nearest man and grabs his arms while I rip out his throat. The burning red taste of blood floods my mouth. The sparkle of life sprays out of his cells like citrus mist from an orange peel, and I suck it in.
The darkness of the room is pulsing with gunfire, and by our standards we are grossly outnumbered -- there are only three of us to every one of them -- but something is tipping things in our favor. Our manic speed is uncharacteristic of the Dead, and our prey are not prepared for it. Is this all coming from me? Creatures without desire don't usually move quickly, but they're following my lead, and I am an angry whirlwind. What has come over me? Am I just having a bad day?
There is one other factor working to our advantage. These Living are not seasoned veterans. They are young. Teenagers, mostly. Boys and girls. One of them has such gruesome acne he's likely to get shot by mistake in this flickering light. Their leader is a slightly older kid with a patchy beard, standing on a cubicle desk in the middle of the room and shouting panicked commands to his men. As they fall to the floor under the weight of our hunger, as dots of blood pointilize the walls, this boy leans protectively over a small figure crouched below him on the desk. A girl, young and blond, bracing her bird-boned shoulder against her shotgun as she fires blindly into the dark.
I lope across the room and grab the boy's boots. I pull his feet out from under him and he falls, cracking his head on the edge of the desk. Without hesitation I pounce on him and bite through his neck. Then I dig my fingers into the crack in his skull, and pry his head open like an eggshell. His brain pulses hot and pink inside. I take a deep, wide, ravenous bite and --
Warm Bodies:
1. Warm Bodies
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Warm Bodies. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don't receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site. show less
Opening Sentence: I am dead, but it's not so bad.
The Review:
R is a zombie. He's still struggling with his role as a zombie in a world where humanity borders on extinction. He doesn't know his name. He can't even remember what his human life was like or how long he's been a zombie. R assumes that he hasn't been a zombie for a long time because his flesh hasn't started to rot and he hasn't lost any body parts. R spends his time going through the motions of living, but feeling vast and absolute emptiness. Wandering aimlessly, grunting and moaning, shrugging and nodding, shuffling, and show more sometimes speaking a few words, the life of a zombie isn't all that exciting. He lives in an abandoned airport outside a large city with his fellow zombie brethren. Maybe out of habit or some distant memory, the zombies have created some social structure in their airport camp. The zombies have a creepy church, weird marriage ceremonies, adoption for parentless zombie children, and school to teach zombie children how to hunt and kill among other things -- useful skills for any self respecting zombie. One day, feeling empty and dead inside, and craving brains, R decides to form a hunting party. When R bites into the cerebrum of his latest victim, Perry, he is flooded and overwhelmed by Perry's memories. Driven by some uncontrollable need, R decides to save Julie, Perry's girlfriend. He takes her back to his zombie camp, and the beginnings of a friendship begin to form. R and Julie set out on a journey, forging an unbreakable bond. Will they find answers to the zombie plague? Can humanity be saved? Is the struggle to survive for the living and the dead worth it?
I'm pleased to say that Warm Bodies is an amazing story. Warm Bodies easily appeals to hardcore zombie fans as well as those who are skeptical of the genre. My approach to reading this story was quite simple - major suspension of disbelief. Turns out, I was wrong. I found myself believing the setup and quickly becoming invested in the story. The synopsis had me intrigued. Admittedly, I was skeptical myself when I read the press release included with the review request. Can a zombie really have a relationship with a human? How will they be able to communicate? What about -- dare I say it, SEX? Mr. Marion did an excellent job answering these questions. While all of my questions weren't answered, it was okay. It worked in the context of this compelling story told from the POV of a zombie. I was left with a profound feeling of sadness and joy as I read the final pages. Warm Bodies is a thought-provoking story that will challenge you to think outside the box.
For me, the story of survival was just a backdrop for the equally compelling storyline -- the relationship between R and Julie. It took some time for Julie to warm up to R and the idea that he really wanted to protect her, even if it meant getting himself killed again. This time his death would be more fatal. R and Julie have a beautiful and convincing relationship. Both characters are a combination of strength and vulnerability, and are easily likable despite some of their actions.
In all its unpleasantness, Warm Bodies manages to be more than a chronicle of fetid zombies shambling about, looking for the next kill. The concept of Warm Bodies is highly original and the opening chapters of the book are the most riveting that I've read in awhile. The writing is simply beautiful and sets the tone for the rest of the story. I'm very impressed with how this story is written. This is a testament to Mr. Marion's ability to make you care for R and his zombie crew. I found myself struggling with picking a winner and loser. You would think the easy choice would be to choose the living, but the dead simply can't be forgotten. R is a unique narrator and he was able to bring a humanizing element to the plight of the zombies.
Overall, Warm Bodies is an excellent entry into the zombie genre. This dystopian world is bleak, harsh and frightening. This story beautifully captures the struggles for identity, belonging and surviving for both the living and the dead. Warm Bodies will keep readers on the edge of their seats asking and answering difficult questions. Imaginative characters and quirky dialog make this a captivating read. Mr. Marion pens a fast-paced and well written novel that readers will devour.
Notable Scene:
As we approach their level of the building, some of us start groaning loudly, and the Living hear us. One of them shouts the alarm and I hear guns cocking, but we don't hesitate. We burst through a final door and rush them. M grunts when he sees how many there are, but he lunges with me at the nearest man and grabs his arms while I rip out his throat. The burning red taste of blood floods my mouth. The sparkle of life sprays out of his cells like citrus mist from an orange peel, and I suck it in.
The darkness of the room is pulsing with gunfire, and by our standards we are grossly outnumbered -- there are only three of us to every one of them -- but something is tipping things in our favor. Our manic speed is uncharacteristic of the Dead, and our prey are not prepared for it. Is this all coming from me? Creatures without desire don't usually move quickly, but they're following my lead, and I am an angry whirlwind. What has come over me? Am I just having a bad day?
There is one other factor working to our advantage. These Living are not seasoned veterans. They are young. Teenagers, mostly. Boys and girls. One of them has such gruesome acne he's likely to get shot by mistake in this flickering light. Their leader is a slightly older kid with a patchy beard, standing on a cubicle desk in the middle of the room and shouting panicked commands to his men. As they fall to the floor under the weight of our hunger, as dots of blood pointilize the walls, this boy leans protectively over a small figure crouched below him on the desk. A girl, young and blond, bracing her bird-boned shoulder against her shotgun as she fires blindly into the dark.
I lope across the room and grab the boy's boots. I pull his feet out from under him and he falls, cracking his head on the edge of the desk. Without hesitation I pounce on him and bite through his neck. Then I dig my fingers into the crack in his skull, and pry his head open like an eggshell. His brain pulses hot and pink inside. I take a deep, wide, ravenous bite and --
Warm Bodies:
1. Warm Bodies
FTC Advisory: Simon & Schuster provided me with a copy of Warm Bodies. No goody bags, sponsorships, "material connections," or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don't receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site. show less
I am a zombie virgin. Well, I was. I had never read a zombie book before Warm Bodies was sent to me by Regal Literary free of charge for review. This is the ARC that I'm reviewing. And of course, this in no way influenced my review of Warm Bodies. That being said, I loved my first zombie book! It was a really sweet love story, full of philosophical questions about life, a glimpse into a not so unrealistic future and it was a well written adventure.
"R" is a zombie with a lot of questions and no answers. He's like an amnesiac living in a world surrounded by other amnesiacs except for the fact that "R" wants to know who and why and how and what now and is there more while the rest of the amnesiacs are content to sit for days on end show more staring or standing or sitting. Right from the start we know that "R" is different. He's disgusted by his hunger and the way he has to feed himself, but accepts it as inevitable. But he still stands out from the crowd, sitting in cars trying to remember how to drive, playing records, trying to talk, get people to tell them their names. He is appalled at their feeding habits, stopping to wash the blood of the dead from him in a puddle on the street. Issac Marion writes so eloquently "There is a chasm between me and the world outside of me. A gap so wide my feelings can't cross it. By the time my screams reach the other side, they have dwindled into groans." (p.8) The entire story is written from "R's" point of view, told mostly in his mind as he's a zombie of few words.
Julie is the other main character in this story. She lives in the stadium where all the protected people live, safe from the zombies unless they venture out. There is a little bit of farming going on inside, but most of their nutrition is gotten through pills as the food produced is not enough to sustain everyone living inside the stadium. The seats have been taken out so that houses have been made and there is a city living within the stadium. People are still having children, teenagers are still falling in love and some people are still hoping for a cure to the plague or curse or whatever it was that caused the zombies. Julie's outlook on the zombie situation is a little different than her military father's. He has become so single minded on winning that he's lost all sight of what's important, living instead of killing. Julie doesn't blame the zombies for eating people. She knows it's what they have to do to survive. Even when her boyfriend is killed, she's not upset at the zombies.
But when Julie and "R" meet and talk and begin to know each other (not in the biblical sense) "R" starts to change. He begins to feel more human. He wants to protect her. Please her. All the things, a boyfriend would do for his girlfriend. And the more time he spends with her, the less zombie like he becomes. He can string words together to form sentences. He searches out food for her when she's hungry. She teaches him to drive. All the while, he doesn't feel the desire to eat her brains. Or eat anyone. From this point on the story goes really fast, and yes, I will say, "R's" character does indeed go through major character growth. Julie's does as well. They get into trouble and out and in again and I don't mean missing curfew I mean scary trouble. Imagine, the world is dead. All the houses in all the neighborhoods are empty. There is a great chance of either being attacked by zombies or people for both of them. When she's in his world, at least they are a little slow, but if he's in her world, there's no disguising him and very few ways of getting out.
Issac Marion paints a bleak future of the world to come. I am not saying that I believe in zombies, but what if in all our building and oil drilling and bombing and deforestation and killing off of the rain forests we uncovered something that should never have been uncovered. An organism that when released in the air spreads some kind of plague. We already have a flesh eating bacteria. It doesn't take much to stretch my imagination to believe in the world spread out before me in Warm Bodies. It's not that complicated. It's our world today, only a lot fewer people surviving in it.
The ending was satisfying, yet I wanted more. I wanted to see what the rest of the world looked like and what "R" and Julie's place in the world might be. Though I feel like the ending was conclusive, if Isaac Marion wanted to, this could definitely be a series. It would have a different spin on the next book, but it would be interesting to see what happens next.
There was a little talk about sex, but it was minor. Today's music is more explicit than this was, so anyone 13 and up should be comfortable reading this book. If you're squeamish, there is talk about eating brains and blood and all the messy stuff that goes with that. So you know, but you should expect that with a zombie book, I'd think.
I definitely enjoyed this book. I don't relate to zombies, but "R" had some good thoughts and he was extremely likable even for a zombie. I'd read another book about zombies by Isaac Marion just because it wasn't what I expected at all. It wasn't about killing and power and control. It really was a love story between two very different characters and having hope when you think there isn't any to be had. show less
"R" is a zombie with a lot of questions and no answers. He's like an amnesiac living in a world surrounded by other amnesiacs except for the fact that "R" wants to know who and why and how and what now and is there more while the rest of the amnesiacs are content to sit for days on end show more staring or standing or sitting. Right from the start we know that "R" is different. He's disgusted by his hunger and the way he has to feed himself, but accepts it as inevitable. But he still stands out from the crowd, sitting in cars trying to remember how to drive, playing records, trying to talk, get people to tell them their names. He is appalled at their feeding habits, stopping to wash the blood of the dead from him in a puddle on the street. Issac Marion writes so eloquently "There is a chasm between me and the world outside of me. A gap so wide my feelings can't cross it. By the time my screams reach the other side, they have dwindled into groans." (p.8) The entire story is written from "R's" point of view, told mostly in his mind as he's a zombie of few words.
Julie is the other main character in this story. She lives in the stadium where all the protected people live, safe from the zombies unless they venture out. There is a little bit of farming going on inside, but most of their nutrition is gotten through pills as the food produced is not enough to sustain everyone living inside the stadium. The seats have been taken out so that houses have been made and there is a city living within the stadium. People are still having children, teenagers are still falling in love and some people are still hoping for a cure to the plague or curse or whatever it was that caused the zombies. Julie's outlook on the zombie situation is a little different than her military father's. He has become so single minded on winning that he's lost all sight of what's important, living instead of killing. Julie doesn't blame the zombies for eating people. She knows it's what they have to do to survive. Even when her boyfriend is killed, she's not upset at the zombies.
But when Julie and "R" meet and talk and begin to know each other (not in the biblical sense) "R" starts to change. He begins to feel more human. He wants to protect her. Please her. All the things, a boyfriend would do for his girlfriend. And the more time he spends with her, the less zombie like he becomes. He can string words together to form sentences. He searches out food for her when she's hungry. She teaches him to drive. All the while, he doesn't feel the desire to eat her brains. Or eat anyone. From this point on the story goes really fast, and yes, I will say, "R's" character does indeed go through major character growth. Julie's does as well. They get into trouble and out and in again and I don't mean missing curfew I mean scary trouble. Imagine, the world is dead. All the houses in all the neighborhoods are empty. There is a great chance of either being attacked by zombies or people for both of them. When she's in his world, at least they are a little slow, but if he's in her world, there's no disguising him and very few ways of getting out.
Issac Marion paints a bleak future of the world to come. I am not saying that I believe in zombies, but what if in all our building and oil drilling and bombing and deforestation and killing off of the rain forests we uncovered something that should never have been uncovered. An organism that when released in the air spreads some kind of plague. We already have a flesh eating bacteria. It doesn't take much to stretch my imagination to believe in the world spread out before me in Warm Bodies. It's not that complicated. It's our world today, only a lot fewer people surviving in it.
The ending was satisfying, yet I wanted more. I wanted to see what the rest of the world looked like and what "R" and Julie's place in the world might be. Though I feel like the ending was conclusive, if Isaac Marion wanted to, this could definitely be a series. It would have a different spin on the next book, but it would be interesting to see what happens next.
There was a little talk about sex, but it was minor. Today's music is more explicit than this was, so anyone 13 and up should be comfortable reading this book. If you're squeamish, there is talk about eating brains and blood and all the messy stuff that goes with that. So you know, but you should expect that with a zombie book, I'd think.
I definitely enjoyed this book. I don't relate to zombies, but "R" had some good thoughts and he was extremely likable even for a zombie. I'd read another book about zombies by Isaac Marion just because it wasn't what I expected at all. It wasn't about killing and power and control. It really was a love story between two very different characters and having hope when you think there isn't any to be had. show less
There's one word I never thought I'd use to describe a zombie novel; poetic. But Isaac Marion has somehow managed to pack this novel so full of beautiful metaphors and waxing philosophical moments that by all rights it should come out as trite, pretentious, and unreadable. But it doesn't, its beautiful, hilarious, and heart-warming. Read it.
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24+ Works 3,691 Members
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Has the adaptation
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Warm Bodies
- Original title
- Warm Bodies
- Original publication date
- 2010-10-01
- People/Characters
- R; Julie Cabernet; Perry Kelvin; Nora Greene; M
- Related movies
- Warm Bodies (2013 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- You have known, O Gilgamesh,
What interests me,
To drink from the Well of Immortality.
Which means to make the dead
Rise from their graves
And the prisoners from their cells
The sinners from their sins.
I... (show all) think love's kiss kills our heart of flesh.
It is the only way to eternal life,
Which should be unbearable if lived
Among the dying flowers
And the shrieking farewells
Of the outstretched arms of our spoiled hopes.
- Herbert Mason
Gilgamesh: A Verse Narrative
'...'
- The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablet II, lines 147, 153, 154, 278, 279 - Dedication
- For the foster-kids I've met.
- First words
- I'm dead, but it's not so bad.
- Quotations
- My friend 'M' says the irony of being a zombie is that everything is funny, but you can't smile, because your lips have rotted off.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Because we want it.
- Blurbers
- Meyer, Stephenie; Pegg, Simon; Niffenegger, Audrey; Harkaway, Nick
- Original language
- English
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- Reviews
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- ISBNs
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- 13